Blogs

The Really Big One and historic masonry buildings

By Jay Raskin FAIA posted 2 days ago
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Historic masonry buildings and earthquakes don’t mix very well, and this is especially true in Oregon with regards to a potential Cascadia subduction zone earthquake. The “ Really Big One ”, as a New Yorker article called it, is a Cascadia subduction zone earthquake that will produce earthquakes of magnitude 8-9, with shaking that will last three to five minutes. (To put these numbers in perspective the 1994 Northridge earthquake was a magnitude 6.7 with shaking lasting 10 to 20 seconds. Damages from the Northridge earthquake were estimated at $49 billion.) The greatest shaking will be along the coast and it will be sufficiently powerful to cause significant ...
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Secretary of the Interior’s Treatment Guidelines Updated and Reissued

By Matthew S. Chalifoux FAIA posted 2 days ago
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The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties with Guidelines for Preserving, Rehabilitating, Restoring and Reconstructing Historic Buildings are an important part of the framework of the national preservation program, used at the federal, state, and local levels to guide work on historic buildings. For this revised edition, the Guidelines have been updated to ensure that they continue to reflect best practices in historic preservation, apply to 20th-century building types, materials, and systems now considered historic, and incorporate modern methods and technologies. The Standards themselves have not been ...
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DIY or hiring an architect: advantages and disadvantages

By Henric Lindholm posted 2 days ago
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Owning your own home can sometimes be the greatest thing in the world, but there are times when this puts you face to face to some tough decisions, especially when it comes to home improvements, remodeling or any kind of small or big alterations. The big question arises: should you be doing it all by yourself or should you hire an architect for the job? There are many things to take under consideration when you find yourself in this situation, which is why knowing some of the advantages and disadvantages of hiring an architect or doing the entire project yourself can be useful. Advantages of a DIY project Probably the most important thing when ...
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Dubuque Celebrates Opening of Bee Branch Creek Greenway

By Emma Tucker posted 6 days ago
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   In 2007, Dubuque, Iowa hosted a Sustainable Design Assessmyent Team (SDAT) to look at a number of issues ranging from smart growth and sustainable development to stormwater management and flood mitigation. Ten years later, the city is seeing the outcomes of its implementation work. Between 1999 and 2011, the city was subject to six presidential disaster declarations as repeated flooding events occurred in the Bee Branch Creek Watershed. Today, the city is celebrating the opening of the Bee Branch Creek Greenway, “one of several infrastructure improvements Dubuque is making as part of the multi-phased Bee Branch Watershed Flood Mitigation ...
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5 useful tips that will help you design the perfect front yard

By Henric Lindholm posted 6 days ago
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Owning a nice house that comes with a beautiful front yard is something many of us dream of. Having a pretty front yard can have surprising effects on a person’s state of mind and general wellbeing. Being surrounded by nature makes us feel more relaxed and looking at beautiful things is something that can brighten anybody’s day. Here are 5 tips that will help you create your personal oasis: Highlight the best features of your house Creating a beautiful garden is something that can be done even if you can’t afford a designer. You just have to follow some simple rules and understand what works for you. It’s very important to keep in mind that the ...
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We are still committed to action

By Heather G. Holdridge Assoc. AIA posted 7 days ago
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vonderauvisuals (Flickr) | License: goo.gl/WkS2Rl By Heather Holdridge, Assoc. AIA and Greg Mella, FAIA, Co-Chairs, AIA 2030 Working Group With the announcement last month of the impending US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, we wanted to take this opportunity to thank the participating signatories of the 2030 Commitment . Like the Paris Agreement, the 2030 Commitment was created specifically to respond to scientific projections on greenhouse gas reductions needed to prevent 2-degree Celsius climate change—meaning that signing on to and actively participating in the 2030 Commitment is a direct way to support the climate accord’s goals. ...
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A non-profit community design center run by architects

By Seth E. Anderson AIA posted 10 days ago
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What we do Too frequently the people with the greatest needs are left out of conversations about how the places where they live, work, and play will grow and change. buildingcommunityWORKSHOP ([bc]) works to shift this power dynamic in pursuit of design justice, amplifying the voices of those who will experience the direct effects of development initiatives. Instead of imposing priorities upon neighborhoods, our inclusive design and planning process ensures that revitalization efforts responsively address the community’s own desires and that residents have ownership of their own neighborhoods’ development. [bc] is a Texas based nonprofit community ...
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Managing risks related to pro bono services

By Seth E. Anderson AIA posted 10 days ago
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By Kirsten R. Murray, FAIA; Published by the AIA Trust     Many architects are strongly motivated to provide volunteer or pro bono services to contribute to their communities and enrich their practice. Whether you are an emerging start-up or a well-established firm, it is important to be aware of the responsibilities and potential risks inherent in providing pro bono services and to work with the client, your attorney, and your insurance provider to avoid unintended liabilities for you and your team.     Selecting Your Project Consider your desired outcome for the project. Is it service? Visibility? Networking? Portfolio or staff development? ...
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AIA Practice Management Digest – July 2017

By Seth E. Anderson AIA posted 10 days ago
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Pro bono work and public interest architecture   Letter from the editor By Seth Anderson, AIA    The desire to make the world a better place seems to be a common quality among architects. I think that comes from the gratification most of us receive from seeing our conceptual creations make a physical mark on our communities -- whether it’s beautifying a neglected area of the city, creating the healthy environment for children to learn, or developing that most basic human need, housing. Architects, by nature of our training, are accustomed to looking for elegant solutions to unique problems, and many architects are using those skills to ...
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Design dialogue: Designing for justice

By Gregory A. Cook AIA posted 14 days ago
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By Gregory Cook, AIA, CCHP   What is good design? According to Vitruvius, when considering architecture it should successfully incorporate ‘firmness, commodity, and delight.’ [1] A more comprehensive modern assessment might go on to include honesty, innovation, clarity of intent, sense of place, and sustainability, among other attributes. These metrics are universal and are not limited to any specific project type, yet in my admittedly short tenure as a project designer working on criminal justice facilities I have come across a reluctance among many to fully assess our designs based on universal criteria due to what are seen as the limitations of ...
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Emerging professional profile of Ryan Meador

By Kerry Feeney posted 14 days ago
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By the AAJ Communications Committee   Personal Information: How do you like to spend your free time?  RM: I regularly spend my afternoons and evenings during the week, reading or listening to podcasts or audible books about U.S. and global politics, science & technology, motorsports news, art and film, history and new music.  My passion however, are cars, motorcycles and motorsports, which I share with my wife as well, miraculously [lucky me].  I have always appreciated the craftsmanship, styling and technology that went into the production of a beautiful car like the 1938 Bugatti 57SC Atlantic, motorcycles like the Ducati 916 SP, ...
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Let’s Chat with your 2017 AAJ Conference Chairs:  Marayca Lopez and Joel Davidson

By Kerry Feeney posted 14 days ago
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By the AAJ Communications Committee   The theme of the conference is Interdisciplinary Justice. This goes beyond collaborative design with our traditional consulting teams and stakeholders.   Could you explain this further? ML: The field of justice is inherently a multidisciplinary one. Addressing justice reform issues requires expertise from several disciplines.  As a former academic criminologist and penologist who has transitioned to an applied career in justice planning, I see many apparent links between the more scientific/social side of justice (and crime) and the practice of justice architecture. These links need to be explored if ...
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The uncomfortable tourist: Juxtapositions of Alcatraz

By Kerry Feeney posted 14 days ago
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By Kerry Feeney B.E.S., B. Arch, MAA, LEED AP    The visit to Alcatraz In the Fall of 2016, I visited Alcatraz. As a Canadian architect with a specialty in justice architecture, I was excited to visit the historic facility. I anticipated that I would feel inspired upon reaching “the Rock”. Instead, I felt uncomfortable. Alcatraz is an iconic place of confinement; it’s interesting to note that even the island’s earliest inhabitants found it unsettling and ideal as a place for punishment: Long before Alcatraz became home to some of the most notorious outlaws in the country, it was known as a place to be avoided by Native Americans who believed ...
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Letter from the Chair – 2017 AAJ Journal Q2

By Kerry Feeney posted 14 days ago
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Letter from the Chair Thanks for reading the Academy of Architecture for Justice (AAJ) Journal, and welcome to our second quarter publication! We covered a lot of ground in this issue.  Firstly, our thanks to Gregory Cook for starting our newest segment called ‘Design Dialogue’ where we address design directly within the specific context of Justice Buildings. He recognizes immediately that we are the “steward(s) not only of public dollars but also public trust.” See what else Greg is saying and feel free to send us your written perspective and experience on the matter. We hope our readers will find this topic engaging and spirited. We also continue ...
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Beautifully designed Airbnbs in the U.S.: San Francisco

By Henric Lindholm posted 24 days ago
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Nothing compares to the excitement of choosing the perfect city for a special vacation. Thinking about places to stay in, great activities or fascinating new places is something that everyone loves to do, because even if we’re only in the planning stage of a trip, we feel a sudden wave of freedom that comes with the idea of taking a vacation. When looking for a place where you can be yourself while taking in great views and enjoying a welcoming atmosphere, San Francisco is the ideal choice. There is something for everyone here, not to mention that there are some parts of the city where you will basically feel that they’ve been taken out of a ...
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Why Industrial Home Design is Here to Stay

By Bob Gorman posted 25 days ago
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Industrial home design began when people started turning old buildings into usable spaces. In an effort to save money, designers left lots of elements exposed, from pipes to concrete, that we usually try to hide behind drywall and beneath carpeting. This money-saving trend became very popular, and now industrial home design is a sought-after approach. Because working with what you have when converting or renovating a space is part of the trend, industrial home design adds a level of sustainability and cost-cutting to remodeling projects. That, coupled with how attractive the finished product looks, is why this style of interior space will be a permanent fixture ...
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Beautifully designed Airbnbs in the U.S.: Seattle

By Henric Lindholm posted 27 days ago
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Many of us are giving a lot of thought when deciding when and where to go on a vacation. There’s a lot of planning and daydreaming, but nothing compares with actually being there, enjoying the trip and the location. The Airbnb definitely had a lot to do with the traveling revolution, making it simpler for us to pursue the perfect vacation. Speaking of perfect vacation, it’s time to unravel a new perfect location: Seattle. Famous around the world for the great musicians that were born here and often associated with the image of the Space Needle, there’s a lot more to discover about this beautiful city , like the fact that it’s pretty much an urban ...
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Beautifully designed Airbnbs in the U.S.: Chicago

By Henric Lindholm posted 30 days ago
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Visiting a great new city is always an exciting adventure. You get to discover new places, new people, make beautiful memories, and, sometimes, find a home away from home. Considering that now we have the Airbnb at our disposal, traveling became less complicated and many of our dreams are closer and closer to becoming reality. When it comes to great cities, Chicago is definitely on top of the list . It has everything anyone could possibly want: an impressive skyline, a fascinating art scene, sports and even comedy. It is also an architectural marvel, walking the streets of Chicago means you get to indulge yourself in a feast for the eyes, taking ...
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Beautifully designed Airbnbs in the U.S.: San Diego

By Henric Lindholm posted 06-23-2017
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Summer is here and we all know what that means: lots of sun, seaside fun, hot days and cool nights filled with laughter and friends. Many of us love to travel in the summer, visiting exotic places, where we get to experience the vacation we’ve dreamed of the whole year. Everything is simpler nowadays, and this is also true when it comes to traveling; the world is more open to those who want to know it better and once the Airbnb became more and more used by people worldwide, traveling to faraway places became less complicated. But what makes a summer vacation unforgettable? The place we go to and the places we stay in.   San Diego is, without ...
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Beautifully designed Airbnbs in the U.S.:L.A.

By Henric Lindholm posted 06-21-2017
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The City of Los Angeles has it all: movies, glamour, sun, great landscapes, and the list goes on. Located in Southern California, L.A. is well-known for its colossal part in the movie world; here you can find Hollywood, probably the most famous neighborhood in the world, which is also the home of the U.S. film industry. If you’re planning a vacation in L.A. , you’re in for a treat. The city is filled with exciting places to see, great restaurants and tons of events. Considering that traveling got easier thanks to the technological evolution, people around the world are now able to see and experience places that they only dreamed of until a few years ...
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